Argentina prepares new mega-trial in Diego Maradona death case

The Argentine judiciary is preparing for a new chapter in one of the most watched and controversial cases in sports history: the circumstances of the death of Diego Armando Maradona. After the cancellation of the first trial, the preliminary hearing that established the parameters of the second trial, scheduled to begin on March 17, 2026, took place this week in San Isidro. The first trial, held at the beginning of the year, was canceled in May, after more than 20 hearings and the hearing of 44 witnesses. The reason: one of the judges on the panel had been involved in a mini-documentary series about the case, without the knowledge of the other parties. The magistrate was later dismissed, and the court decided to resume the proceedings. The new preliminary hearing risked another postponement after defense lawyers filed appeals invoking the principle of "non bis in idem,” according to which a person cannot be tried twice for the same act. However, the court rejected the idea of a suspension, emphasizing that these appeals, pending in an appeal court, should not block the future trial.

• A challenged medical team

Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, following a cardiorespiratory arrest combined with pulmonary edema, in a home where he was recovering from a neurosurgical intervention. His body was already deeply affected by years of excesses, addictions and chronic conditions. The trial aims to determine whether the death was inevitable or whether the members of the medical team, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and assistants, acted with gross negligence or even "conscious negligence,” as prosecutors and the family claim. Judge Alberto Gaig confirmed, on behalf of the panel, that the new trial will take place three days a week, between 10:00 and 17:00, a more active pace than that of the first trial, which had only two weekly sessions.

The parties still have to reach an agreement on: the list of witnesses, which numbers almost 90 people; the evidence admissible in the file. The court insisted that these technical aspects can be determined later, without affecting the trial schedule.

The defense accuses the court of "precipitation" and argues that, by intending to organize a new trial in parallel with the appeals filed, a major procedural violation is risked. Lawyer Nicolas d'Albora, who defends the medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, says that the integrity of the entire procedure is being jeopardized. On the other hand, the plaintiffs' lawyers welcome the court's decision. Fernando Burlando, the lawyer for Dalma and Gianinna Maradona, believes it is essential that "the trial will take place and has not been suspended”, despite pressure from the defence.

Dalma Maradona, one of the legend's daughters, publicly welcomed the setting of the trial date: "Despite all the attempts to prevent this, you have a trial date! We will continue to fight so that you get the justice you deserve!”. The Maradona trial is seen in Argentina as a national event, a mix of justice, collective emotion and sporting heritage. For his supporters, the death of "El Pibe de Oro” was not only a personal tragedy, but also a wound in the memory of a country that transformed him into a symbol. The new trial, with its accelerated pace and huge stakes, promises to resume all the medical, legal and emotional controversies of the first, but with even greater public pressure: that of finally providing a clear answer regarding the responsibilities surrounding the death of Diego Maradona.